Means for supporting power-transmitting mechanism.



-N0. 731,473. I PATENTED JUNEQS, 1903.

L. J. LE PONTOIS.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902. v

N0 MODEL, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Tm; Noam; PEYERS cc. PHOTQ-LITHEL, WASHINGTON, u. c.

PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

L. J. LE PONTOIS. MEANS FOR SUPPORTING POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.-

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 28. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

r m m I U ITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

LEON JuLEs LE PONTOIS, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

sPEcIFIoATroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,473, dated June 23, 1903 Application filed November 28, 1902. Serial No. 138,085. (No model.) I

' To all whom it may concern:

3e it known that I, LEON JULns Ln PONTOIS, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of New York city, State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Supporting Power- Transmitting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in means for supporting power-transmitting mechanism, and is capable of general application to any form of power-transmitting mechanism which is subjected to shock or strain.

The object of myinvention is to relieve the gear and, in the case of a self-propelled vehicle operated through said gear, the wheels from the shock or strain imposed upon them by irregular impulses of the motor and to relieve the gear and the motor from the shock or strain due to the irregularities of the road over which the wheels pass.

The invention consists in the combination of a transverse spring or a spring mounted transversely of the power-transmitting shaft, resting at its ends in fixed bolsters with a link pivotally suspended at both ends between said spring and shaft, whereby the spring is ferred to.

, For the purpose of illustrating my invention in one of its forms I shall describe the same in connection with a driving mechanism of a self-propelled vehicle.

In aself-propelled vehicle employing steam, gasolene, or other motive agent in which the driving-shaft is directly connected to a gearwheel on the driven shaft or forming a part of the compensating gear on the axle of one of the pairs of wheels of the vehicle the shocks and strains to which said gears and wheels are subjected are communicated to said shaft and the body of the vehicle, causing discomfort to the occupants of the vehicle and injuriously aifecting the driving mechanism. Irregular movements of the motor likewise cause a reverse effect upon the gear and wheels. By the presentinvention I provide a novel means for suspending the drivingshaft, so as to take up all shock and to cause an equalization and even distribution of the strains, relieving the body of the vehicle as permitted to take up the strain re-.

well as the driving mechanism from all injurious jarring.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation of the suspension means, certain other parts being shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a view on the plane of line A B of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout both views.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the driving-shaft, receiving arotary motion from ,any suitable source of power or connected to a motor in any suitable manner. In the particular example of my invention here illustrated a pinion b is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft a, said pinion engaging a bevel-gear c, forming a part of the compensating gear 0 of the vehicle, so that the motion of the shaft is imparted to the axle, in

this instance driving the wheels of the vehicle.

(1 designates a casing inclosing the drivinggear, the casing having an outwardly-extended annular portion cl surrounding a portion of the shaft a, a bushing a being interposed between the shaft and the said annular portion. The casing therefore provides a hearing for one end of the shaft, and, if preferred, a suitable thrust-ball bearing may be provided between the pinion b and bushing e, the balls being retained in a cup at, as shown in Fig. 2.

fandf designate side supporting-frames as, for instance, the side frames of a vehicle.

To these frames are secured by bolts bolsters f 2 and f respectively, for the reception of the ends g and g of a laminated or leaf spring h. A yoke 'i, embracing the spring h, is provided with projecting lugs j, which lugs support a pin 7t. Pivotally suspended from said pin 75 is a link Z, having its lower end piv0tally supported on a pin on, carried by lugs n of a collar 0, which collar embraces the annular portion at of the casing (Z. The link Z is free to rock on both of its supporting-pins, and such link constitutes a rocking or yielding member, which, in connection with the spring h, relieves the gearing and motor as well as the vehicle from the effect of sudden and disagreeable jolts. The ends of the spring are preferably rounded or cylindrical, and the bolsters are provided with corresponding seats adapted to permit slight endlwise movement of the spring in the direction of its length and allowing the spring to coact with the link.

In the drawings 1 have shown a divided driving-shaft, the portion a being constituted of a section secured at its ends to the main section (6 by means of knuckle-joints p of any approved construction. As the section a is free to turn about the pivot-pins q q of the knuckle-joints, any injurious effect due to possible lack of alinement of the shaft with the driven gear and which might result from movement of the springs or carriagebody is obviated.

I am aware that many changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not restrict myself to the details or the specific construction shown.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination with power-transmitting mechanism, a spring, supports for said spring and a rocking member interposed between said spring and said mechanism.

2. In combination with power-transmitting mechanism, a spring,supports for said spring, and a link pivotally connected at one end to said spring and at the other end to said mechanism.

3. In combination with power-transmitting mechanism, a driving-shaft, a spring supported by its ends transversely to said shaft,

and a link pivotally connected at one end to witnesses.

LEON JULES LE PONTOIS. Witnesses:

SEABURY O. MASTICK, OTTO P. OSMERS. 

